The invention relates to an adjustment aid for a rearview mirror in a motor vehicle.
When adjusted correctly, the rearview mirror in a motor vehicle allows a driver to look behind through the rear window of the motor vehicle in order to observe the rearward traffic. The correct adjustment of the rearview mirror depends on the seated position and body size of the driver and should be checked or set by every driver prior to driving. When adjusted correctly, the view to the rear is impaired to the least possible extent by a rear-window frame or by the backrest of a rear bench or the headrests thereof, to the extent that these are present.
When it is dark, for example in a dark garage or on an unlit road, the process of adjusting the rearview mirror may be impaired by virtue of the rear-window frame not standing out clearly enough from the view through the rear window, such that the rearview mirror has not been adjusted correctly prior to driving.
In order to solve this problem, the driver may, for the purposes of adjusting the rearview mirror, switch on the interior lighting of his vehicle so that the rear-window frame stands out better from the dark surroundings visible through the rear window. However, this solution is disadvantageous in that the eyes of the driver require a certain amount of time after switching off the interior light to become accustomed again to the dark. During this time, dangerous situations may not be recognized in a timely fashion under certain circumstances. Moreover, this is connected to additional manipulations which, under certain circumstances, are also still preceded by a search for the light switch, for example if a driver uses a vehicle for the first time.
Alternatively, after the start of the journey, the driver may repeat the adjustment process as soon as enough light is available from other sources, for example from streetlamps or other vehicles, if the driver determines that the rearview mirror has not been adjusted correctly. However, particularly in the case of changing light conditions during the journey, this entails a distraction for the driver which may likewise lead to dangerous situations not being recognized in a timely fashion under certain circumstances.